He hangs up, his breath coming out in a bit of surprise.
“You sure nothing’s going on with you and Kode? That’s like the fourth time he’s ever called me, but that’s certainly the most pissed he’s ever been.”
Swallowing hard, I follow him as he leads me back toward the front. “I’m sure,” I lie. “What’d he say?”
“Sounded pissed and a little… I don’t know… scattered? Wanted to know where we were, and then hung up on me when I told him we’d head up front. I guess he was trying to call your phone, but couldn’t reach you.”
That’s because I forgot my phone on the charger after changing for the horrible magic show Rain dragged us to. But he called Rye? I’m going to kill Kode. This is just too—
“Hey!” Maverick says, jogging over to us. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Go pack. We gotta head back.”
Kode is suddenly there, right in front of me, and tugging my hand into his.
“Kode, what the hell is going on? Did something happen with Rain?”
Panic sets in. She looked worried, upset even, and I just walked away like a brat when she hugged her friend because of my childish insecurities.
“No. I found Dane, and he took Rain back to their room.”
He keeps pulling me, and I’m forced to run a little to keep up with his much longer strides. My panic only grows.
“What’s going on?”
“Raya called. We’ve got to get home.”
Now my whole body heats with dread. “Kode, stop! What happened? Is Kade okay? Did something happen to Uncle Paul or Aunt Margaret?”
He finally slows down, his lips tightening as though he doesn’t want to be the one to tell me. But realization slams into me almost instantly, and I know what he’s going to say before the words leave his mouth.
“It’s Thomas Colton. He… passed away a little while ago.”
Chapter 7
KODE
There are few things I hate worse than funerals. None come to mind right now. I’m the worst possible person at consoling others. It’s never been my strong suit. That’s Dane’s shining point.
When people cry, I cringe. When people need warm embraces, I’m stiff and unsure of myself. Even Rain. When she hugged me after hearing about Thomas’s death, I didn’t know how to react.
I tried to comfort her, but I was relieved to see Dane so I could hand her over. Never thought I’d say those words.
Tria… Tria didn’t seem to need comforting. Or if she did, she obviously knew I sucked at it and didn’t attempt to seek solace in me. Instead, she stayed quiet—utterly silent—the entire plane ride home.
She stared at her hands mostly, never really meeting anyone’s gaze. Rain cried a little, but she mostly talked about everything she needed to do to help out her aunt and uncle to prepare for the funeral. Tria said nothing.
I kept looking at her, hoping she’d at least let me know she was okay, but she seemed lost inside her own mind, sorting out her emotions on the death of a man their family loved very deeply, even though he was only their family through marriage.
Yesterday I started to call her, but I had no idea what to say. I assumed she was busy with helping everyone get things ready. Maybe I still should have called her. Ah, hell. I really hate funerals.
Now, sitting here in this massive church while someone gives a eulogy, my eyes are three pews down and across the aisle, trained on the girl with dark hair that can’t seem to do anything but stare at her hands again.
She’s dressed in a black dress that touches her knees, and though she shouldn’t be so beautiful right now, she’s the very definition.
I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do, but I feel like shit for not doing something. And I never feel like shit.
The service draws to an end, and Kade and his family stand together. Raya tries to speak to Kade, but he holds his hands up to stop her, his eyes streaked with tears, and he shakes his head while walking away. He storms through the crowd in an angry blaze, before practically bursting through the church doors.
I’m still uncertain if I should go to the cemetery or not, and right now, Raya looks just as uncertain as I do. As her unshed tears waver on her eyelids, she stares at the doors that close on their own, as though she’s willing Kade to come back in.